Device for supporting balls of yarn or cotton



Aug. 22, 1950 H. L. ROLLlNS DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING BALLS OF YARN 0R co'rTou 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Feb. 3, 1948 INVENTOR. fiezt/e L. R 0 ///'/76 A fa/ways Aug. 22, 1950 H. L. ROLLINS 2,519,505

DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING BALLS 0F YARN OR COTTON Filed Feb. 3, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Heff/e L. RON/77s Patented Aug. 22, 1950 DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING BALLS OF YARN OR COTTON Hettic Lynn Rollins, Colorado City, Tex.

Application February 3, 1948, Serial No. 6,075

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a device for supporting balls of yarn or cotton.

An object of the invention is the provision of a casing for supporting a ball of thread in such a manner that the thread may be withdrawn from a ball which is rotatably mounted in the casing with guiding means in a wall for the thread, said guiding means being in the form of a V-shaped slot having an extension rising to the upper edge of the wall so that the thread may be inserted conveniently into the slot, means being employed for closing the extension to prevent the thread from escaping from the slot, the balls being carried by spindles mounted in opposite side walls of the casing and readily removable therefrom.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device for supporting rotatably variable sizes of balls of thread for crocheting or for other purposes in which a casing has bearings for interchangeable spindles adapted to support the balls with a guide in a wall for the thread and in the form of a V-shaped slot having a restricted entrance with means for retaining the thread against release from the slot, a movable means maintaining the spindles in the bearings.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combinations of parts hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view in elevation of my device for supporting a ball of thread with parts broken away,

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken along the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view in perspective of a modified form of spindle that may be used,

Figure 4 is a view in perspective of a modified form of a device for supporting balls of yarn or other types of thread,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in perspective of a modified form of spindle employed in the casing illustrated in Figure 4,

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section of the casing in Figure 1 disclosing a movable means for retaining the ends of the spindle in place,

Figure 7 is a fragmentary top plan view of the movable means illustrated in Figure 6, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary side view of a modified form of a retaining means for the ends of the spindle.

Referring more particularly to Figures 1, 2, 6 and '7, H3 designates a casing having a front wall II, a higher rear wall 12 and side walls IS. A bottom M is supported by rubber feet Hi. The

' position shown in Figure 1.

2 rear wall also has feet It for supporting the casing when said casing is turned at right angles to the A handle H is secured to one side wall.

A receptacle 2% for needles 2| is secured at 22 to the rear wall with the ends of said receptacle in close contact with the side walls 53. The side walls have vertical extensions 23 which are secured to the rear wall l2. A shelf 24 is connected to the upper ends of the extensions so that when the casing is resting on the feet 16 the needles 2| will not be discharged from the casing since the upper end of the receptacle is open.

A spindle 25 extends transversely of the casing and substantially over the center of the casing. A sleeve 2 6 rotatably mounted on the spindle is adapted to receive neatly the passage in the ball 2'! so that when the thread is drawn from said ball the sleeve and ball will rotate on the spindle. The ends 28 of the spindle are square in cross section and are received in square shaped bearings in the upper edges of the side walls l 3 of the casing (Figures 6, '7) A latch 39 pivoted at 3| on each upper edge of a side wall rests over the ends 28 of the pintle and retains said pintle against displace ment.

The front wall H has a wide V-shaped slot which has smooth walls to prevent cutting the thread 36 from the ball 2! when the thread is drawn through said slot. A narrow slit or vertical extension 37 of the slot provides an entrance thereto for the thread. The extension opens through the upper edge of the front wall. A keeper to prevent the thread from leaving the slot 35 is in the form of a rod 39 mounted in a guide 46 secured to the outer face of the wall II. A knob 4| is employed for manipulating said rod. A bearing 42 receiving the free end of the rod 39 aids in retaining the rod in place.

A modified form of the device shown in Figures 4 and 5 has a casing 45 provided with a front wall 46, side walls 41 and a rear wall Q8. A bottom is provided with feet 49 While the rear wall is equipped with feet 50.

A cover 5| is hinged at 52 at the upper edge of the rear Wall. Tapered projections 53 extend downwardly from the side edges of the cover into V-shaped notches 54 in the side walls 41 when the cover is closed for a purpose which will be explained presently.

A spindle 55 has its opposite reduced ends 56 triangular in cross-section and the ends are received by the lower ends or apices of the V- shaped notches 54. Braces 51 reinforce the lower ends of said notches. It will be noted that the lower ends 58 of the projections 53 are cut off horizontally so that they will rest on the upper faces of the triangularly shaped ends 56 of the spindle 55 for retaining the spindle in place. A sleeve 59 tapered from the center towards the ends thereof is mounted rotatably on the spindle and receives the ball 21.

The front Wall 46 is identical in construction with the front wall II of the casing in Figure 1. The same reference numerals, therefore, will be applied to like parts in both walls. A hook 60 is pivoted on the front wall 46 and is adapted to be received by an eye 6| on the front edge of the cover for retaining the cover closed when the casing is carried by a handle 62.

When large balls of materials are employed and the central passage therethrough has a greater diameter than the diameter of the sleeve 26 or 59, and has no obstruction, a sleeve 26a is substituted that has spring arms 65 secured at one end to the outer Wall of said sleeve with return bent portions 66 in the form of spring fingers projecting from the other ends of said arms. In order to provide a balanced structure, at least three such arms are employed. The finger press outwardly against the wall of a tube formed of cardboard. The tube is supplied by the manufacturer. In this manner, the tube and ball are held against rotation on the sleeve 25a but may be withdrawn readily.

In Figure 8, a modified form of means is employed for retaining the ends of the spindle in place in the casing in Figure 2. Detents in the form of contacting balls 10 are mounted in cylinders H with coil springs 12 maintaining contact of the balls. This assembly is carried by plates 13 secured at T4 to the side walls [3a of the casing or housing. The ends 15 of the spindle in this form of holding means may be circular in cross section since the balls frictionally engage the ends. Furthermore, the ends 15 may be pressed into place when the balls will be moved apart. The ends of the spindle may be raised readily from the seats 16 in the plates 14.

The casing or housing It or 45 is preferably made of plastic materials which are tinted with various colors to give a pleasing effect. Said housings may be manufactured from Wood. As shown in Figure 2, suificient space is provided for housing balls of thread below the suspended ball 21.

In operation, the casing may be placed on the floor of a room adjacent the chair of an individual. The casing is then resting on the feet [6 in Figure 2 or on the feet 50 (Figure 4) so that the thread 36 may be drawn directly upwardly from the slot 35. When the casing is placed upon a support so that the front wall II or 46 is in an approximate horizontal alignment with the hands of the operator, the casing will be resting on the feet l5 or 49 so that the front wall will be in a vertical plane.

While the sleeve 26a provided with spring fingers for taking care of large balls having wide central passages is shown in Figure 3, the casing may be supplied with a number of sleeves having varying diameters.

It will be noted that the latch 30 in Figures 1, 6 and '7 constitutes a movable means for retaining the ends of the spindle in the open bearings in the side walls l3. The V-shaped notches 54 in the side walls 41 (Figure 4) constitute the open bearings while the extensions '53 are the movable means for retaining the spindle in place.

It will be noted that the receptacle 20 in the casing it! Figure 2 performs a double function, said receptacle not only houses the needles 2| but it closes the space between the rear wall I2 and the ball 21' of thread so that articles placed in the casing will not be discharged therefrom when casing is resting on the feet I6.

What I claim is:

A device for housing knitting or crocheting materials comprising a rectangular casing having side walls, a rear wall and a front, a cover hinged on the rear wall, each side wall having a V-shaped notch with the wider portion thereof opening through the upper edge of the side wall, a spindle adapted to support rotatably a ball of thread and provided with reduced ends, triangularly shaped in cross section, said ends adapted to fit into the apices of the notches for supporting the spindle transversely of the casing, and projections extending downwardly from the side edges of the cover and fitting into the notches for retaining the ends of the spindle against displacement, the front wall having a passage therein, for guiding the thread from the casing.

HET'IIE LYNN ROLLINS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 399,095 Thomas Mar. 5, 1889 559,364. Christensen May 5, 1896 992,324 Yale May 16, 1911 1,218,222 Smith Mar. 6, 1917 1,423,776 Morrison July 25, 1922 2,046,550 Daniels July 7, 1936 2,239,185 Withey Apr. 22, 1941 

